The Dark Bounty
by LordHelen
Summary: When Shadow is captured by a mysterious thing, Sonic must cope with not knowing where he is and unable to find him.
1. Chapter 1

Chapter One: First Fight

By

LordHelen

It had been close to three months since Sonic beat Marianna. All was quiet, nothing destroying the peace. Cream had been missing for two weeks, having gone home to take care of her friend, and today she was returning. Rouge had been Rouge, fussing over beauty and jewels, sleeping in a hammock. Knuckles had been sick for a few days with a common cold, Tails having just caught it. And Sonic and Shadow…well, they were dating. They hung out together and had several classes together, and, right now, were researching together.

"This is so impossible! Our assignment is going to take forever! Bounty hunters were both respected and feared: discuss." Sonic flipped through a book entitled _Early Bounty Hunters_.

"Well, we could ask Tails." Shadow suggested, running his finger across books, attempting to find one. He settled on a particularly dusty book called _Historical Knights and the Less Honorable_. When he opened it a huge puff of dust floated up.

"No, he's sick. Maybe if we just read faster…" Sonic didn't even bother finishing. She paused above a particularly interesting paragraph that read:

_In the early years of the century a large mutant by the name Hogura was believed to have stolen a priceless artifact, a gemstone that could create long life. In fact, it was supposed to immortalize a person. When Hogura's boss (at the time) was tracked down, he swore he had never received the stone, and a search of his quarters revealed he was correct in that aspect._

"That would be a reason to fear bounty hunters." Sonic muttered, scribbling it down on her notepad. She flipped the page, forgetting about the paragraph almost as soon as she had read the next one.

Not two hours later, they had given up for the day and headed to Shadow's room to watch TV. Shadow and Silver had bought it and were one of the few on campus that had one. Sonic sat on the floor and Shadow lay on the bed, fiddling with her quills absentmindedly.

"And so, the complications of Seater Hospital Morgue were solved. Now to Lanis with the weather." An elderly bat was replaced with a fat cat, who stumbled as he accidently destroyed the green screen

"Is this all that the news has? Morgue complications and an obese klutz?" Sonic asked, flipping off the TV in disgust.

"Well, not every day can be an adventure." Shadow reminded her, dropping her quills. Sonic turned to look at him, her eyes shining with spirit and ferocity.

"In my life it can." Shadow laughed and got up to brush his teeth. He had noticed that recently Sonic had been staying later and later, sometimes almost not going to her own room.

In the main room, Sonic flipped to a cartoon of a dog chasing a bear, not really paying attention. She was busy thinking of when she killed Marianna, also committing suicide. When she had been brought back, it was an odd sensation, like being pulled out of a thick liquid and into a sudden, cold air. She pulled herself on the bed, listening as Shadow turned on the water. Suddenly, there was a loud and startling thump, like Shadow hit something.

"Shadow, are you okay?" Sonic called, sitting up. There was a shuffle and a loud bang. "Shadow? Shadow!" Sonic shoved the door open, gasping. Shadow was bleeding freely from a large wound in the side of his head, knocked out on the white tiles of the floor. A large beast, grotesque and evil, stood over him. He was black, with fur that jutted out at odd angles. His eyes were small and beady, completely red. His hands were more like huge paws, five claws jutting out from both, each three feet long. His feet/paws had four three foot long claws, and at the edge of all the claws was a dark, almost black, purple color, like poison. He clutched in his paws a large gun, but yellow with a dial and no trigger.

"Sonic," the thing said, "Sonic, the Light Wanderer. I've heard tales. I must be going now, but expect to see me soon."

"Not with Shadow you aren't!" Sonic answered as it picked up the unconscious hedgehog. Sonic started to imagine the future Queen Amen had shown her of Shadow, tried to draw out her power. She began to sparkle, started to glow, when something made hard contact with her face. The beast had punched her, sending her into the now broken door.

"Stay out of it, for now." Sonic forced her eyes open, black clouding her vision. "I have yet to kill you." Sonic felt a stabbing pain around her right eye as it dragged its poisonous claws down her face, and then she drifted into blissful emptiness, all pain and thought gone.


	2. Chapter 2: Gone

Chapter Two: Gone

By

LordHelen

Sonic woke up, her face throbbing. Actually, it was throbbing more on her left than her right. It hurt unbearably, and she at once wished she could return to the pain free unconsciousness. _Not every day can be an adventure._ Sonic gasped, hearing his voice as clearly as if he was there.

"In my life it can." Sonic whispered, forcing her eyes open. Odd…She could have sworn she had been in Shadow's room all alone. Now she was in a pure white room lying on a stiff and equally pure white. She kicked the sheet off of her, which made her leg ache.

"Knock that off right now, Miss Hedgehog. You have to recover from whatever it was that made you like this." Nurse Wallace ordered, pressing a hand on Sonic's chest. Nurse Wallace was a blue and black bat with long nails and a knack for knowing any ailment or injury.

"But Nurse Wallace, I'm not that injured." Sonic said, struggling to rise against the hand pressed firmly on her chest. The nurse stared at Sonic, looking her up and down.

"Really? Not that injured?" Nurse Wallace held a mirror up to her face. The left was mauled by jagged, purple lines. Sonic remembered the pain as the thing tore its claws across her face. The night rushed back to her, filling her with fear and anger. Shadow was gone!

"Okay, fine." Sonic allowed. "I'm injured. Very badly. But I still want to get up!" Nurse Wallace just shook her head, taking a needle and injecting a blue liquid in Sonic's arm. The light slipped away as the drug knocked Sonic out.

Sonic awoke again, still in the stiff hospital bed. It was dark, night time. Nurse Wallace would have gone to bed, Nurse Cat in her place. Cat was an awful night watch, always falling asleep around eleven each night. Sonic stood, almost falling due to lack of use of her legs. She tried again, managing to stumble her way out of the room.

In the lobby of the hospital wing, Sonic found Nurse Cat snoozing in her chair. Sonic smiled, thankful, and headed towards Shadow's room.

"What are you doing, Sonic?" Silver moaned into his pillow as soon as the door opened.

"How did you know it was me?" Sonic demanded, forcing her legs to carry her across the room to him.

"I know you. You came to see if Shadow had been taken. He has, so no use searching at one in the morning." Silver rolled over so his back was to her.

"I know, but maybe…oh, you're right. Sorry, Silver." Sonic turned to leave, but saw the bathroom door. It was shattered to pieces, broken to bits. Sonic remembered the pain and shock when she had hit that door, her whole body aching in the remembrance of it. Her knees started shaking.

"Sonic, are you okay? Do you know what happened here?" Silver asked, somehow having gotten out of bed without Sonic knowing. She considered telling him about the short lived fight, about the odd creature, about how she was too hopeless to save Shadow…

"No. I'm just observing the bathroom. I guess this is where it all went wrong, huh?" Sonic lied easily. She had done it a lot when she was younger.

"Yeah, it is. Poor Shadow, there were no witnesses. I mean, you were found here, but I guess you don't remember." Silver sat back down, deflated.

"Yeah. I'm sorry, Silver. I wish I could help." Sonic smiled and hugged him gently. "Well, I'd better get back before Nurse Cat wakes up."

"Bye, Sonic." Silver lay down, finally ready to get some sleep. He hadn't been able to rest, thinking Sonic might help with the mystery. But now he knew there was nothing he could do.

Sonic was crying a little when she arrived at the hospital. When she entered, Nurse Cat and Nurse Wallace were both waiting for her. Sonic knew what was going to happen as soon as she saw the needle. Time for the knock out drug.

**This story and plot is mine, but all recognizable characters belong to Sega. And by the way, I don't know if anyone has made this connection, but this is a sequel to the Light Wanderer. I know my chapters have been short, but the next one will be about 2000 words, so just wait. Sorry this chapter took so long, I've been getting ready for school.**


	3. Chapter 3: The Morgue

Chapter Three: The Morgue

By

LordHelen

Shadow tried to remember what happened, but his blinding headache impeded his thinking. His head throbbed as if it had been bashed by a hundred pound hammer fifty times in a row. He couldn't even open his eyes without a light right above him making it hurt even more.

"He is unresponsive. I would think he would be awake by now. Why did you take him anyway? Aren't you after the girl?"

"I am. Without him, she will crumble. Sonic will be easy to destroy after a few weeks. I am certain of this." Shadow opened his eyes, instantly alert. He looked around, recognizing the morgue about fifty miles off campus. The pleasant Mr. Uten was dead on the floor.

"He appears to have wakened, sir." The voice sounded strained, angry. A man stood over Shadow, his mustache long and unkempt. His face was wrinkled with age.

"Yes, very good. Shadow, do you know where you are?" a deep voice asked. Shadow found he was bound to the table he was on.

"The morgue." Shadow answered. "About fifty miles away from school. The Mobius Morgue, I believe."

"Correct. As long as you are well behaved and don't cause trouble, You will not end up as that fool. He challenged me, saying this was a peaceful and short resting place for the dead. He tried to challenge me. Don't try it."

"I don't have to. I'm sure lots of people have noticed I'm gone and will have start looking for me. This wouldn't be overlooked." Shadow said smugly.

"I don't think you understand. First, my engineer here has made a state of the art security system, and anyone who passes it would have to fight me."

"I actually prefer mechanical engineer, Sir Hogura." The man over Shadow said, frowning.

"Silence, Eggman! You have now revealed my being! Now, second of all, you being noticed as missing is just what I want. You see, I don't really care for you. But the Light Wanderer is the one I want. I have been hired to kill her." Hogura said, coming into Shadow's line of sight. His claws were big, dripping with poison. His eyes were beady and red.

He was muscular under the piles of hair. He was very tall, and kind of scary with his black and dark purple fur. His arms extended from his body as big as pythons.

"What? By who? Tell me who wants Sonic dead!" Shadow yelled. Hogura laughed. It was a deep throated sound, almost kind. But it had that evil edge, that horrid sound that comes from being bad.

"Don't make me laugh, hedgehog. Why would I do what you say? I am not the one tied up, helpless and in the hands of a giant beast. That would be you, correct? Besides, I don't ask who hires me. I just do what they tell me."

"What? You don't ask? What if they refuse to pay you and you can't track them down?" Shadow asked. An expression of surprise flitted across Hogura's face, replaced quickly by exasperation.

"Look at me for one moment, hedgehog. Would you even think about hustling me, even for one moment?" Shadow looked.

"Okay, I see your point. But it still isn't smart. If my report was on stupid bounty hunters, you'd make it."

"What did you say?!" Hogura demanded, gripping Shadow's neck. "Did you just call me stupid?!"

"Sir, he is necessary! Remember, bait?" Eggman asked, reaching out a hand. The monster swatted it away, glaring at Shadow.

"Very well, you get off. But only because I need you to make a few calls to Sonic. Just to add that special touch of mine. But if you dare try anything, I will kill you anyways, and tell her personally before I kill her. Understand?" Hogura asked. Shadow nodded.

"Sir, I haven't masked the phone yet. It may be a few moments. Maybe a few minutes." Eggman sighed.

"Well, get started! It's been a few days, so we should get a phone call in." Hogura sat down, just in Shadow's eyesight.

"What? A few days? As in I've been sleeping for a _few days_? As in more than one?" Shadow asked. "Why?"

"Because I hit hard." Hogura answered.

"I doubt you hit that hard. Oh well." Shadow sighed. He was thinking about Sonic. Were they really going to make him call her? That would be torture on her.

There was a large grove of extremely tall trees just outside of campus. They were green almost all the time, and never stopped growing. In the very center was the most peaceful place on Mobius. A small clearing with flowers and bright grass. Here, Sonic was torturing herself. She thought of Shadow dying, of him being covered in blood and having passed beyond her reach.

Sonic's fur began to glow a light blue, the light dancing off the trees. Then there was an explosion. It sent Sonic to the ground. Her head hit a rock and it felt like it had split in two. She lay there, confused.

"Why can't I do this?!" Sonic complained, managing to sit up. Her head ached badly, and she was certain it was bleeding. She stared at the small grove of trees that she had adopted as her training area. She thought that picture of Shadow was the key, but it did nothing. Just made a small release of energy.

_RING!_

_RING!_

_RING!_

Sonic picked up her phone, staring at the caller I.D. _Unavailable_. Sonic hesitated before flipping open the cell phone and pressing it to her ear.

"Hello?"

"Sonic?"Shadow asked, his voice slow and almost sad. Relief flooded over the hedgehog. Maybe Shadow was okay; maybe Shadow wasn't hurt or kidnapped…

"Shadow, is it you? Oh, thank goodness! Where are you? What phone are you using? Can't you come back to school?" Sonic asked in a rush.

"No, I'm held up, you could say." Shadow answered. "It's someone else's phone, and I'm at the-"

"I am afraid our little black friend is being detained, Sonic." Sonic shivered, fear replacing joy. That was the voice of the beast, the large one that took Shadow.

"Who are you? Where have you taken Shadow? You better let him go!" Sonic ordered, standing up too quickly. She fell to her knees, wincing as she felt a stab of pain through her head.

"I think you know who I am, Sonic. I am Hogura the bounty hunter. And as to where we are, I would rather keep you guessing. And we both know that without location, and with your powers, you are useless. Be wishing that you can talk to Shadow again." Hogura answered, the phone dying.

Sonic sat, pulling her knees to her chest. How had Hogura known that her powers weren't working, and what could be want with an ordinary high school student? _Nothing good will come of this._ A voice in Sonic's head said, to which Sonic replied, _Something awful has come of it already._

Shadow growled as Hogura hung up, leaving Sonic scared and probably feeling very helpless. He strained against the straps holding him down, realizing quickly that that wouldn't work. He found he could slide his right arm up, centimeter by centimeter.

"Genius, sir, absolutely genius. Keep that girl scared and it will block her powers, no matter how furious she is. Just as I predicted. She would have contradicted you if her powers were working." Eggman said.

"So I don't have a completely useless engineer…you have no idea how amazingly surprising this is to me. Maybe everyone." Hogura replied, falling onto his chair.

"Mechanical engineer, please, sir." Eggman sighed. He disappeared, probably to run tests on the system and make sure all was running smoothly. Shadow felt his elbow come free, deciding to mask his actions.

"Why do you need me? If you're so strong, can't you defeat Sonic without this game?" Shadow asked tauntingly.

"Keep your distractions to yourself, hedgehog. I do not claim to have power enough to destroy the Light Wanderer. But I do claim the power to break that arm, if you don't stop."

"How did you know?" Shadow asked, his arm falling dead immediately. He strained to see his captor, but he was just out of sight.

"You are not as sly as you think, hedgehog. I can see every movement you make." Hogura's face was right over his suddenly. "And you reek of fear every time you try to do something."

"That's what all the insane villains say, right?" Shadow asked angrily. Hogura's face twisted into a mask of rage.

"You know nothing! You are a useless hedgehog! Insane is stupid, I am sane! And if you utter that again then I will hurt you bad." Hogura hissed.

"Go ahead. Let's see how hard you can really hit." Shadow taunted, smiling deviously. Hogura looked about ready to do so, then stopped. He even smiled.

"I see what you're doing. You want me to kill you so I have no more leverage over her. Well, guess what? I'm not a fool." Hogura punched Shadow's stomach, knocking the air out of him. "I want you to suffer."

"I'll be here." Shadow gasped in response. Hogura laughed, disappearing from view. Shadow turned his head, seeing the phone. He needed one arm free and he could help Sonic so much. But Hogura saw all. Or, did he?

It was hours later, and Hogura had gone to sleep. Eggman was supposed to be watching Shadow, but he had fallen asleep. Shadow could call Sonic, tell her everything, and she'd forget about her fear. But if either of them woke up, it would be all over. His arm was almost free, just his wrist caught under the strap. He could feel it bite into his flesh, draw bright spots of blood.

Shadow's hand slipped out and he flexed his sore muscles. He reached out, gripping the black phone in his hand. Staring at the sleeping Eggman he dialed Sonic's number.

"Hello?" Sonic answered on the third ring. She sounded sleepy, but alert. Like she hadn't slept yet.

"Sonic, you have to listen to me." Shadow hissed into the phone. Eggman stirred slightly at his voice.

"Shadow!" Sonic cried, her voice full of fear. She suspected it was Hogura again. "Are you okay?"

"Shh, they don't know I'm calling. I snuck the phone, so I could tell you what they think." Shadow began.

"Oh, sorry. Why? Do they think something important?" Sonic asked, her voice almost hard to hear.

"Well, they think that they know why you're powers are on the fritz." Shadow offered, his heart beating as he heard footsteps in the hall.

"Really? Great!" Sonic answered, the smile clear in her voice. "What is it? Is it true, do they really know?"

"Yes, I think so. They think it's because you have too much-" Shadow was interrupted by a hand over his mouth

"Shadow is misbehaving." Hogura said into the phone. Shadow bit his hand.

"Fear! You have fear!" Shadow shouted as soon as Hogura took away his hand. "That's they want me!"

"Shadow? Shadow, what's happening? Are you there?" Sonic's voice was panicked, fearful. "Fear. Right, got it!"

"You made a deadly mistake." Hogura threatened as he slammed the phone down. He looked deathly calm.

"I doubt that. I just helped Sonic enough so that she can beat you." Shadow said, triumphant. A hand closed around his neck.

"Unfortunately for you, that means I have no reason to keep you alive, right?" Hogura's eyes glinted malevolently. "You give me one reason."

"There is none." Shadow admitted slowly. "She won't be fearful of those phone calls anymore, so that's out.

"Oh, she might. I guess I just need to pick the right background music for those calls. Let's think of what would strike fear in her heart. Maybe your screams, perhaps?" Hogura smiled.

"No, she won't fall for it." Shadow said, but his voice cracked with doubt. "I'm certain of it."

"Really? Let's see if you're right, hmm?" Hogura brought his clawed hands up, then let it fall down.

**Sorry it took awhile, I've been prepping for school and everything. But, as I promised, around two thousand words this time. Hope you enjoy, and a disclaimer:**

**I don't own Sonic characters or anything, just Hogura and the plot.**


	4. Chapter 4: The Final Stage

Chapter Four: Final stage DB

By

LordHelen

Sonic sat on a stump, trying to release her tension and fear. If those kidnappers were correct, than it was the only way to unleash her inner power so she could save Shadow. But it sounded like that phone call would get him in trouble, which would mean time was of the essence…No, she couldn't think like that. It would only increase her fear, make it harder to calm down.

She sat so still that the wind seemed to be beating a rock when it rushed at her. She heard the birds slowly stop singing, as if they were watching her. When her eyes opened, she saw that she had a small audience. Several squirrels were staring at her with wide eyes and about thirty birds fluttered ever closer as she remained unmoving. Her eyes widened as she watched. She had never been a nature freak, but they all seemed so cute and harmless. She saw a few pairs of eyes glowing in the darkness of the trees, perhaps a few deer.

"Calm…that's it!" Sonic whispered, so as not to startle the animals. The birds jumped back a few feet in surprise, before fluttering forward again. But sonic was finally seeing why when she needed to be calm. Now that her thoughts were not focused on Shadow, now that fear coursed through her blood, she could actually feel it inside of her. A burning fire, dim as embers but growing as she found it. And she could almost touch it as she felt it spread through her veins as her fur shimmered softly.

Everyone one of the creatures retreated to the trees' shelter when her fur lit the small clearing. Sonic almost laughed at the warmth in her. This transformation was so much better than when she had first transformed. It felt comforting, like the power was hers. She could feel every last part of her, could hear her blood running gently. It almost seemed like a gift to be able to do this. It made her feel _complete, _like she never had been until this moment. And then her phone rang.

"Hello?" Sonic asked, her voice even. She laughed as she heard it echoing with a thousand voices. This time it seemed beautiful instead of commanding and scary.

"Hello, Sonic." Hogura answered. Her smile faded, her fur dimming as her calm slipped. _No,_ Sonic thought, _not him. Not again, it can't be. What does he want?_

"I'm not interested." Sonic heard the strain in her voice, but it was a good façade compared to how much her stomach was shaking.

"Oh, I'm not a salesman. I'm just calling to ask how you're doing." Hogura hissed. There was a faint noise in the background, almost a buzzing. "Perhaps you're doing better than we are here."

"What do you mean?" Sonic asked suspiciously. There was the sound of a heavy door swinging open and the buzzing intensified, changing into screams of pain. Shadow's screams of pain. Sonic felt her eyes widen, saw her glow dim and go out. She couldn't help it, they were _torturing Shadow. _"STOP IT!"

"Oh, I'm sorry, are you angry now? Murderous, sad…or scared?" Hogura's laugh was a rough bark that grated on her ears. Sonic could feel the tears forming in her ears. He was taunting her because he knew she couldn't touch him. Not yet, maybe not ever…

"No. But I'm going to kill you." Sonic gritted out, the phone slipping from her hand. It cracked on a stone with loud noise, probably startling the animals. If there were any left after that. "Calm…calm…"

Sonic felt her arms drop, numb, to her sides. How could she calm down now, after that? Hogura was right; she was feeling all of those emotions. All of them added up to no chance of calm. He was winning, crushing her.

"Hrr…" a squirrel chirped, rubbing her leg with its head. Sonic reached down, rubbing its back. The squirrel was being nice, but no matter how much she tried she would never get calm again. It was impossible. But maybe, if she just _tried…_

"Calm..." Sonic whispered, focusing on anything other than Shadow. Her other friends came to mind, their happy faces, sympathetic and always helpful. Rouge, Cream, Cheese, Blaze, Knuckles, Tails, Silver…they were all too kind. And then, calm flooded through her. She couldn't think about fear, or Shadow, because she suddenly had so much to think about.

How they had all stared at her the past few days, though she had hardly noticed at the time. Her friends knew she was going insane, they knew she was angry and desperate. But they knew her so well; they knew they couldn't help her. Yes, they could tell her that Shadow would be fine and no one would kill him. But they'd be lying, which could be worse than suffering alone. Sonic finally realized Rouge's silence at bedtime, and it all made sense. She stood up, turning to the school. They loved her, and she needed to apologize.

Sonic entered her room, searching for Rouge. She didn't have to look long. Rouge was sitting on the floor in front of the bathroom door, sobbing quietly.

"Rouge? Rouge, what's wrong?"

"Sonic?" Rouge asked, looking up in surprise. "You haven't spoke in forever. Are you okay?"

"I'm not the one crying on the floor. Now tell me what's wrong." Sonic said, sitting next to Rouge. The bat bit her lip, torn.

"I shouldn't…you…" Rouge whispered, staring at her. Sonic realized the hesitation immediately.

"I'm fine, really. Please tell me what's wrong. I want to know."

"Okay, if you're sure." Rouge smiled nervously, then looked down. "It's…well, Silver, actually. Nothing, really, I'm overreacting."

"Rouge, you better tell me right now!" Sonic ordered, staring at the bat.

"Well, okay. I…I kinda like him, but he hardly notices me anymore! HE always leaves when I go in a room and he usually won't talk to me. It's so aggravating, I want to kill him!"

"Let me make sure I've got it. You likr Silver, but you want to kill him?" Sonic clarified, raising her eyebrow.

"Well, yeah, I guess. It doesn't make since, but I've heard love never makes since." Rouge mumbled.

"Love? Rouge, do you think you…_love Silver?"_ Sonic asked seriously. Rouge blushed, looking at the floor again.

"I did say that, didn't I? Maybe, a little…" Rouge sighed. "But it's like he doesn't even know I exist anymore, and that's so frustrating."

"I'm sorry, Rouge. Maybe you could make him notice you." Sonic saw the disagreement in the bat's eyes, so she tried something else. "Or…I could talk to him, I guess."

"Would you? Oh, Sonic, that would be perfect!" Rouge smiled wide, a laugh in her voice. "Oh, thank you so much!"

"Yeah, sure. I'll be back when I'm done." Sonic shrugged, standing up. She doubted she could talk to Silver. She had noticed he had gone gloomy and quiet after his best friend had been kidnapped. Rouge might be overreacting to simple depression. But she still had to try.

Sonic walked through the buildings of housing, finally finding Silver's room. She knocked and the door swung open. She noticed he still hadn't fixed the door, so it could have been the night of the crime. She felt her knees shake as she remembered her pathetic performance that day. She unconsciously walked into the room, suddenly finding herself staring at the broken bed frame she had crashed into.

"Sonic? What are you doing here?" Silver asked, his hands finding her elbows as if he was afraid that she would faint.

"Hey, Silver…" Sonic murmured, her eyes fixated on a tiny spot of blood. Hers, probably. It looked so dried and old…

"Sonic, let's go. Come on, let's get out of here!" Silver urged, trying to pull her. But he didn't move her in the least. She had frozen.

"No, I need to talk to you. You're being a big jerk." Sonic said, remembering why she had come here in the first place. "To Rouge, I mean.

"What?" Silver asked, shifting his weight uncomfortably. "No, not here. Let's go somewhere else and you can say anything you want."

"Yes, here. Right now, Silver. You're hurting Rouge by ignoring her like you are. Why are you doing that? I thought you were her friend." Sonic looked into his eyes, her mind pulling away from the crime scene.

"I don't think that we should…not here, this place…please, Sonic, let's go." Silver had desperation in his eyes. Sonic realized it might be just as hard for him to be here as herself.

"Okay, fine, you win. We can go." Sonic let Silver lead her from the dorm room, her feet dragging. She knew that something was wrong here, horribly wrong. But she couldn't place it, but it nagged at her.

"Okay, talk. What do you want?" Silver asked when they were about thirty yards from the room. His voice had a bite to it, like he was angry. He probably was.

"Why are you being so mean to Rouge? She is feeling awful right now, because you've been ignoring her!" Sonic stated. Pain and confusion flitted across Silver's face.

"She is?"

"Of course!" Sonic hit him on the arm and pain filled his face again. But it could be because she hit him hard. "Are you that stupid? Sheesh, you being a jerk is bound to make someone mad!"

"Sorry, I didn't mean to make her upset." Silver's eyebrows knotted together and Sonic rolled her eyes. She knew Silver could be emotionally stupid, but this was obvious. Who wouldn't be upset?

"Okay, but you need to talk to her. She's really mad, so I'd be careful." Silver hesitated and then flashed her a small smile.

"Thanks, Sonic!"

"Yeah, sure." Sonic whispered, her eyes leaving his face to stare in the direction of the room. "You go do that, and I'll just…"

"No, Sonic. Don't you even think about it." Silver said, grabbing her arm. Sonic knew he was right, but temptation was building inside her.

"Listen to the hedgehog, Sonic." A deep voice rumbled. Both hedgehogs spun to see the large, muscled form of Hogura. Sonic's eyes widened in fear.

"No, it can't be…not here, not now…"

"Who are you?" Silver demanded, his hand shoving Sonic behind him. He knew Sonic couldn't transform and he was trying be to be…What? Suicidal?

"That is none of your concern. I'm not here for you!" Hogura swiped at him, making him jump to the side to avoid his massive hands. "Come on, Shadow's waiting."

"Sonic, come here!" Silver cried. Sonic knew she should, but Hogura was going to take her to Shadow…and that moment of hesitation was enough. Hogura swiped her, his poison coursing through her. She knew she'd be out soon, her world was already flickering…

"Sonic!" Silver's cry was faint, distant. Sonic closed her eyes, not caring. She was going to Shadow, right?


	5. Chapter 5: Fight

Chapter Five: Fight Db

By

LordHelen

Sonic staggered a few steps before falling to her hands knees. She heard Hogura chuckle at her reaction to her first teleportation.

"Where is he? Right now, tell me!" Sonic demanded, holding her head as she stood. She refused to look to around until she had an answer.

"Look around, Sonic. This will be grave." Hogura promised, but he pointed one poisoned claw behind her. Sonic turned, seeing a black pile of blood crumpled on floor, pressed against the far.

"Shadow! Shadow, it's me Sonic!"

"No…" Shadow's only coherent word shocked her. What did mean? Was delusional or something?

"What do you mean Shadow? Let me help you." Sonic pulled him onto back to inspect him. He had deep red mark that she feared were burns.

"Go away!" Shadow suddenly opened his eyes, smiling a little to see her. He had really missed, but she couldn't be here. Hogura would kill! "He'll destroy you!"

"What? Hogura? No, he won't." Sonic smiled. "He'll try, but I'm fine. I promise, Shadow."

"Try? I will succeed, Light Wanderer! Show me what me what you got!" Hogura roared, hitting her from behind. She flew into a stone wall, tumbling to the ground. But Sonic was serene, calm now that she knew Shadow was safe. Her fur glowed and shimmered.

"I cannot be manipulated by you anymore." Sonic's voice rang as it always did when she transformed. She stood, her glow illuminating the room. It was a morgue, transformed into a torture room. Blood covered shackles and pokers and other evil tools littered the walls and floor. The ceiling stretched on and on, high enough to fly up and fight there. Not a bad idea, Sonic decided.

"What? This is impossible! How could you…but I…and he is…AARGH!" Hogura roared. He raised his hands, slamming his wrists together. Sonic's eyes widened in surprise as a dark ball energy began to form.

"I didn't know you were witch." Sonic told him. She looked at Shadow, worried for his safety. This would have to be quick, he looked badly damaged. "Let's see if you can fly." She rocketed to ceiling.

"Let us see indeed!" Hogura roared, rushing toward her. He left the ball behind, letting it charge larger and larger while he fought.

"Indeed…" Sonic hurtled to a stop, punching the shocked Hogura as he rocketed by. He rolled and hit the wall, a resounding crack echoing across the morgue. Sonic flew to him, rapidly throwing jabs to his stomach. She felt her arm cracking as he bent it back. She flew back a bit, staring at her arm. She felt the bone healing, the crack disappearing. "Cool."

Sonic barely dodged as the enraged beast put a full out attack on her. She had to keep flying around to avoid his deadly claws. She didn't have enough time to attack, but twice she tricked him into hurtling into stone. Sonic finally turned, allowing him to scrape his claws across her chest. She watched in fascination as the purple poison frothed, spilling out of her blood stream and disappearing. The cuts healed, leaving a blood stain behind.

Sonic, filled with glee at this new observation, formed a blue disk at her fingertips. She threw it with an excellent arch, cutting into Hogura's shoulder before it evaporated. The beast roared in shock and pain, drawing back for a second. His beady eyes were uncertain as he glanced to his energy ball. It was still charging, but he was clearly planning to use it anyways.

"I have blown up before." Sonic warned. "I am still here." Hogura growled, lunging for her neck. He was truly scared. He had never been matched, much less at a disadvantage, in battle before. Sonic easily caught his hand, squeezing. She heard the crack, followed by his roars of pain. She didn't notice how odd it was that she suddenly found herself enjoying pain. She eagerly squeezed harder, rewarded with more roars.

Sonic threw him toward the ground, there in a flash to kick him back to the ceiling. She flew back up, smacking him into the stone wall with both hands. Sonic smiled wide, then realized how much she was enjoying herself. Confusion crossed her face, enough for an angry Hogura to point his hand at the ball, ready to use it.

"Stop!" Sonic cried, her eyes wide. She saw the ball expanding, growing too big for Hogura to contain. The whole morgue would be destroyed, as well as Shadow and herself. She knew it would die if it consumed something, so she set her sights on Hogura. She needed a moment of weakness, just to throw him in the depths of the ball.

"Why? Scared yet?"

Sonic shook her head, flying straight to Hogura. Her hands got his stomach, fingers splayed wide as she pushed him toward the ball. Realizing what she was doing, Hogura drew his claws across her face several times, and then punched her off him. Sonic, growling, got behind him. She almost laughed at the tiny stub of a tail he had. Grabbing it, she spun him around and around repeatedly, finally letting go, he stopped just above the ball, flying back up to grab her.

Wrestling in the air, Sonic saw her chance. She knew Hogura was distracted, so she slowly led the fight down. She kicked him several times, shocking him. She released him and he fell into the black ball. She watched in terror as tendrils of glowing energy wrapped around him. Hogura screamed and screamed, his voice cracking. The ball glowed as blood spurted forth. Hogura appeared to be melting in his own energy. The ball, illuminating more and more, suddenly exploded in another, final round of screams. And sonic fell in painless blackness.

**Thank you for reading; I am now giving another disclaimer. And perhaps I should mention that is happens to be a sequel to my other story, Light Wanderer, and so will many others. This is just a short fanfic is just to explain Sonic controlling her powers, which are explained in Light Wanderer. Thanks again!**


	6. Chapter 6: Welcome Home

Chapter Six DB: Welcome Home

By

LordHelen

Sonic felt pain, not just terrible, burning pain, but a heavy weight on her chest. Dark was too pressing, her eyelids refusing to lift. Her hands especially burned, mostly in the palms. Her head felt beaten, her legs sore. The rest of her had a mild burning.

"Rouge, did the date with Silver go well.?" Blaze's voice echoed in her mind, deaf on her ears.

"Nah, I dumped him. I'm so over him. He seemed fine with it, so no harm. But how's Sonic?" Rouge answered.

"Still nothing. Her hands didn't heal at all today, they're still crisps. Cream's been crying real bad."

Sonic forced her eyelids up, staring at a white ceiling. Rouge squeezed her, igniting the flames around her body.

"Sonic!"

"Rouge…uh, could you let me go? Please?" Sonic asked. Rouge released her, staring in her eyes.

"Shadow is fine. Hogura is finally dead. You are very hurt. If you check out, then I will kill you!" Rouge threatened.

"No, I'm ready to go to sleep. I'm tired, and I hurt." Sonic answered. Blaze smiled and hit the red button. Drugs shot through the line, putting the hedgehog to sleep. She gave Rouge's hand a squeeze as her eyes slid shut.

"You! I need to tell you something. There's a student at Mobius High, Shadow. He's grade A, owns the school paper…and he is not what he seems."

"What do you mean? G.U.N. does not take prank calls lightly, sir! Speak up, now! What is unusual about this Shadow?"

"He is not real."


End file.
